A Different Canon
by Priya Ashok
Summary: A completed fic about a Harry whose sense of self preservation is greater than Canon. A Harry who is smarter and thinks more. Please read and review. Thank you.


The wonderful world of Harry Potter belongs to JKR.

A type of fic done to death. Naturally I had to do it too. Cannon, with differences; a Harry who uses his sense of self-preservation more.

 _ **A Different Cannon**_

 _ **Chapter – 1**_

"Get up. _Get up_." A harsh voice shrieked as a couple of sharp taps could be heard on a small Cupboard door. Inside, a small boy was startled awake and he scowled. He had had such a nice dream too. A flash of green light. He turned his head at the sharp raps and wondered what was happening outside his cupboard. He had thought he was being punished by the Dursleys for the zoo trip, where he spoke to a cool snake? Sheesh.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He answered as he turned on the dim light and groped for his broken glasses and got out of the door. The moment he walked out, his Aunt screamed at him again. "Quickly. Wash and get ready; we're going to London to buy Dudders his School things. You will be finished with breakfast And quickly, so hurry."

Harry silently walked out and went to the bathroom, looking sideways at the second bedroom longingly. What he wouldn't give to be there? He sighed and washed up as best he could in the limited time his Aunt gave him and dressed quickly.

He knew the way he was treated was very wrong, but what could he, an orphan do? If he rebelled too much he was scared they'd put in an orphanage, that they always kept threatening him with. He wished he'd be able to tell him that they were the Freaks. He scowled darkly.

"Out!" screeched a shrill voice. Harry scrunched up his face and walked out, careful to keep his head down in a show of submission. He went to the kitchen and soon had a nice breakfast going.

A little while later, Harry was sitting with the Dursley family eating a meagre breakfast, while Vernon Dursley and Dudley gorged on the food he made. Harry looked longingly at the dishes he made and sighed to himself. He was going to be locked inside, he knew for the whole day, when the Dursleys were going to London.

Just as he was finishing the doorbell rang. "Boy!" barked Vernon Dursley. "Get the door."

Harry silently got up and went to the door. The post had come in. There were letters for Vernon Dursley, an invite for his Aunt for something and a … Harry blinked. A letter for him. How strange.

"Boy!" Vernon Dursley shouted from the table.

"The post Uncle. I'm just bringing it." Harry called and hastily folded the letter and stuffed it into his pant pocket and gave the rest to his uncle.

He was very puzzled though. Who'd written him? He had no friends, Dudley had seen to that. He couldn't wait for the Dursleys to leave. The Dursleys left soon enough leaving Harry locked inside his cupboard for the day, closing the curtains and everything, they left quite cheerfully. Harry knew they'd not be back before ten at least, and he'd go hungry again, today. His stomach was already growling. He sighed again and waited a good ten minutes before he took out the letter from his pocket, feeling for it in the dark. It took another ten minutes to switch on the light and read his name and his address.

The first thought that stuck the boy was, that someone knew he lived in a Cupboard Beneath the Stairs, and he felt a sharp pain as he came to the understanding that someone other than the Dursleys also knew that he was placed in a Cupboard, and had allowed him to be so. That dimmed his excitement a bit. He carefully opened the letter and got the shock of his life.

Magic was real?! There were not only people who could do magic, but a whole School to train them? He was magical?

Harry's head swirled. He would have thought it a mistake, but two things stopped him. One was the odd things that had happened to him over the years and the detail in the address that came to him from the School. Another sharp pain swept through him. People in the Magical world knew about his plight. People in the magical world knew how he was treated and he was still left to rot here. For a second a white hot fury raged through him, then he slumped.

He had made a mistake of bringing this in. He should have taken it to his Uncle. If the magical people knew this much then they'd probably know when he did not reply. Who knew they might even know he'd opened the letter. That thought scared the young boy so much that he dropped the letter and took deep breaths to calm him down. That would enrage his family; that he had the nerve to hide something from them. Never mind that the letter was addressed to him.

A minutes later, he took the letter again, and carefully smoothed it and read it once again. Then turning to the little shelves, he carefully took an old notebook he knew had a few pages in them. He carefully copied the contents of the letter and the requirements on to his notebook. He knew he'd have to hide this note book beneath the bed, where his Aunt would never check.

It took him a long time and he did it slowly, carefully. Then he folded the letter, placed it in the envelope, and now he had a new problem. The cover was torn. Harry started trembling. Oh dear! He was going to get caught. He'd tore the letter by mistake. What to do, what to do. It took a long time for Harry to get over his agitation and fear and think rationally.

He thought hard and then came to a conclusion that he felt might work, and he may just about get away with it. He hoped.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to consciously relax, but the thought his Aunt and Uncle might know he'd kept this from them, spoilt the day for Harry. He became very restless and could not wait for the Dursleys to return. He had placed the letter beneath all his books, so that the fold would even out. That caused him another anxiety. Why did he have to fold the stupid letter? He hoped his Aunt would not notice. She was very sharp when it came to noticing things about him.

The day passed impossibly slowly for Harry and it was with relief he greeted the arrival of the Dursleys. They came in and after a while his Aunt let him out to use the bathroom. Harry drank as much water as he could. All that anxiety had made him very hungry.

He went to bed still agitated and it took a long time for him to go to sleep and because of that he was very groggy in the morning, until he realised he had an important act to pull off, which made him wide awake. He carefully took the letter and placed in his pants pocket and double checking that his shirt was well over his pants, he went to work.

The next morning, the mail came again, and this time Harry stood up and walked to the door to get it. There were only a couple of them and he hurriedly took his letter, removed the letter from the cover, and folded the cover exactly like he had yesterday, and started for the table, pretending to be engrossed in his letter, a look of amazement on his face. He kept the other letters by his Uncle and he started to read his.

"Mum look the freak's got a letter."

Harry watched carefully as Petunia's lips thinned impossibly, a very bad sign, as she took the letter from Harry. "How dare you open it?"

"But it was addressed to me. Look." He said flourishing the envelope, unfolding it and showing the Dursleys. "It's even addressed to my Cupboard."

Petunia let out a small scream, she at once stifled.

"Get out of here. You too Dudley." She spoke sharply, to the amazement of Dudley, who had never been spoken to like that. He frowned and started another tantrum.

Harry quickly grabbed the rest of his breakfast and left the room.

"Look Vernon. They know the boy's in there." He heard her say fearfully as the door shut upon him and his cousin, who came out kicking and screaming , and yet holding on to his breakfast plate. Harry pretended to be bewildered as he tried to process what Petunia said. So those people, that Dumbledore and McGonagall knew about his treatment and they had let it be. He'd have to be careful, if he was allowed to go to that School. They'd have no problem to treat him poorly; they had magic to make it worse than he was here. He shivered for a second.

The next few days would be funny, if Harry was not so worried about the new World. Anxiety gripped him; the Dursleys were at least the known evil. Those people were unknown and they also had magic with them, which made them know a lot of things even the _neighbours_ had no idea about. Like his Cupboard beneath the Stairs.

Harry was still not sure how that'd affect him, but he did not want to take any chances. So he waited and watched and gladly shifted into the second bedroom. That made Dudley throw another huge tantrum and Harry made sure to keep well out of his way.

A week and a few hundred letters later they were speeding away in the car. Harry thought it all silly. If these people had so much power, they could have just popped over and talked to the Dursleys instead of behaving in such a stupid manner. Were all wizards and witches so stupid? Harry hoped not. All they were doing was to make the Dursleys hate this and him more.

Soon they were on a random small island on a wet, wet day and Harry was quickly getting as bored and frustrated as Dudley, though he could not show it openly. It was his birthday tomorrow. He was turning eleven. He sighed. He was also very hungry.

As the clock struck midnight, the door to the little cottage they were all shivering in, broke down with a huge bang. Startled, Harry scampered behind the sofa, even as Vernon Dursley lifted his gun.

"Who's that?" he asked in a gruff scared tone, lifting his gun.

A huge man came into the room, looked around for Harry, who had by then concealed himself behind the ratty sofa, and failing to find him, boomed at Vernon Dursley.

"Where is Harry Potter?"

Vernon Dursley glanced at the sofa and barked. "Who are you Sir? You're breaking and entering."

"And what will you do about that you great prune?" he bellowed, as he took the gun and tied it into a knot.

Harry slowly stood up, thinking it to be safer than hiding. If his Uncle gave him away, now that _his_ protection was no longer effective that would make the huge guy more powerful than he already looked.

"Ah there you are Harry. You look just like your Dad, but you've got your Mum's eyes." Said the loud man, now beaming at Harry.

Harry was startled. This man knew his parents? Were they like him too? Magical? He stared at the huge man, not knowing what to say. He did not want to anger his relatives. This man would leave at some point; _he_ was stuck with them.

Aunt Petunia had come into the room now Harry saw and it made him feel glad he had not spoken. The way she was looking, she would not be pleased.

"Get. Out. Whoever you are. The boy will not be attending that horrible School."

"And how will you stop him? His name has been put down for Hogwarts at birth."

Harry listened to all this carefully, even though he couldn't make sense of it all. His parents had registered him at birth for this School, and yet they left him with people who hated Magic? There was something wrong there, though he did not know what it was.

"Well he won't be going. All that School gave my sister was an overbearing sense of her own importance, which got her killed."

Harry was shocked now. His Mum was killed in that World? His parents' had not died in a car crash? They were not drunks too, then?!

"You keep quiet. James and Lily were the best there were." The man bellowed in anger.

"Of course they were." His Aunt sneered.

"That awful boy Snape turned my sister's head about Magic, and from then on, she was unbearable. And once she latched on to that miserable Potter, she dumped Snape, which served him right." She said with vicious joy. "And then of course she got herself killed, and dumped the Freak on us. In the middle of the night no less, left on our doorstep like a coward. You freaks who wanted me to take care of the boy, did not even have the courtesy to ring the bell and tell me about my sister's death and ask me if I was willing to take in the boy. Oh no. You leave him with enough charms, in the middle of a November night and make the bloody magic force me to take him in. Well for that I think I've done well."

Harry's head was reeling with what he'd heard. He decided not to think about anything now, but hear everything out patiently, hoping the adults would talk more, so that he'd get more information.

The big man fumbled, clearly not knowing what to say. And so he said something he should not have.

"Now, now, it was not like that. I brought little Harry from the ruins of his home in Godric's Hollow myself. The great man Dumbledore was there with Professor McGonagall and they left him on the doorstep. They knew what they were doing. They probably did not want to disturb you in the night with bad news."

Petunia sneered. The big man continued to talk and put his foot in his mouth repeatedly.

"And Snape is a good man now. He loved Lily. He was sorry for their friendship going bad. He hated James Potter, who could be bit of a bully. They were always targeting Snape; he and his three friends were always ganging up on Snape, but in the end James was a good man. He fought for the Light. Lily broke away from Snape because he was turning dark. And he was. He became a death eater and then he repented and came to Dumbledore and swore to protect little Harry for Lily's sake. So Snape's not a bad man, see?" he said confusing everyone about what he was talking about.

Petunia stared at him in disgust.

"What in the name of Heaven are you blathering? I knew James Potter was a bully. He and his three miserable friends thought they could do anything, since they had magic. Lily was corrupted by that. First by Snape when we were small, and then by that horrible Potter."

Now the big man did not know what to say. "I think I'll be going now, with Harry. I've said more than I should have said." he turned to Harry. "Come on Harry, we'll be off, on our way."

Before Vernon Dursley could shout at the man, Harry intervened, talking for the first time since that man came in.

"I'm sorry Sir, I don't know who you are, but I won't be leaving with you, until my Aunt says so."

The Dursleys looked at him startled and then Petunia looked at the huge man with triumph.

"But Harry, you've got to. Professor Dumbledore told me to get you and get you your stuff for School. Your wand and everything."

"Thank you for that Sir. But I won't go with anyone unless my Aunt allows me to, sorry, and I won't go to any School, unless she approved. I don't know you. You suddenly come here in the middle of the night and say all kinds of things and then you want me to go with you, trusting you. I won't be doing that." Harry said firmly and walked to his Aunt and stood by her. She was be cruel and harsh to him, but he was not going to exchange her for something that looked harsher and terribly more uncaring. After his ten years with the Dursleys this was saying something, he thought.

The big man floundered again and then defeated, he left. There was silence a few seconds after he left, and then his Aunt shouted at him. "Go now boy. Go to sleep." She said and turning to Dudley she dragged him to her and went into the other room.

The next morning, all of them started for Privet Drive. The drive was totally silent, completely unnerving Harry, who did not know what to do with this family, a family who did not shout at him unreasonably when he was in their presence for more than a few minutes, not to mention, Dudley sitting with him and not punching him. Not to mention he wanted some time to think about what he'd heard and he dare not do it now.

They reached Privet Drive and went in. Harry stood uncertainly by his cupboard door, when his Aunt briskly walked to the kitchen. As she entered, she shouted at him, calming him immediately and then stunning him with her words.

"Go to your room. Wash and get ready for lunch."

Harry stared bewildered at her, until she shouted once again for him to go to his room. He was not shouted at. His uncle had barely said a word to him since yesterday night and neither had Dudley. Now his Aunt wanted him to go to his room and wait for food? Seeing his Aunt turning to see if he'd gone, he ran to his room and sat down in his rickety bed, his heart thumping. Were they going to send him to the orphanage like they always said? God!

"Have you washed boy?" came the yell a few minutes later.

"I'm going Aunt Petunia." He called out in a resigned tone and walked to the bathroom and had a good shower, his first in a very long time. He wished he could enjoy it more, but until he knew what was happening with his Aunt, he was going to be very worried.

Harry sat down to breakfast and was shocked when he was offered a huge breakfast. Well for someone who had half a slice of dry toast with old cheese most days; four good slices, an egg, a whole egg, a slice of bacon and half a sausage was a feast. Harry did not waste any time. He was very hungry. He had starved all through yesterday and he dug right in. He was almost finished when the doorbell rang. He made to get up, looking sadly at the two slices of bread left, when his Aunt motioned him to stay put and walked briskly to the door.

Harry was once again bewildered by this, when he heard a small shriek from his Aunt. Hastily he started eating quickly, intending to finish before anything hit the kitchen and his breakfast became a casualty of his Aunt's anger. But to his surprise, he was not called and neither was Dudley. His uncle had gone to see what had disturbed his Aunt, but he and his cousin were not called. Harry heard furious voices coming from the hall, and he finished his breakfast and drank his small glass of milk, another luxury today and he started cleaning the table, leaving his Aunt and Uncle's plate behind.

He washed the dishes and waited to be called. The voices were shrill and horribly loud; he heard his name screamed by his Aunt and he knew it was more people from that School.

Harry desperately wanted time to think of all he heard yesterday night and wanted to know what was happening now in the hall, but he was not a foolish boy. He knew that his breakfast and his lack of chores and the shouting he usually endured was absent because he had supported the Dursleys yesterday and had stood by them. If he showed his curiosity today, he feared his Aunt would relapse to her old ways, even becoming worse than they had been. So Harry stayed put.

He finished his chores, covered his Aunt and Uncle's half eaten plates and sat quietly, trying to hear as much as he could, which was not much at all.

Suddenly his Aunt came into the room, furious. "Come out boy." She barked.

Harry stood silently and followed her, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants.

In the drawing room, there were two other people apart from his Aunt and Uncle. A very old man and an old woman. They wore the strangest clothes and looked at him, before smiling at him. He stared at them without smiling back and then went to stand by his Aunt.

"Ah Harry! There you are." the old man said. "I'm Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is Professor McGonagall, Assistant Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House and Transfiguration Professor. We have come to take your acceptance to Hogwarts and then Professor McGonagall will take you shopping for your School things."

Harry did not even look at the man, who by the big man's account had left him _here_. He turned to his Aunt and kept quiet, heaving a sigh of relief at her look of triumph.

"Harry?" the old man asked.

"Sir you have to ask my Aunt. Not me. She's my guardian. She has to decide."

"Now get out." His Aunt shouted.

"Petunia," the old man sighed. "Harry's magic needs to be trained. Otherwise every time he feels emotional, there is a chance he can harm himself and others. Until he is eleven his core will not be a danger to himself and others around him. As he grows older, if his magic is not trained, he could destroy himself and others around him. Is that what you want?"

His Aunt's faced pinched in anger. She was silent for some time and the old man and old lady kept quiet too. Then she looked at Harry.

"Boy! Go with them and do your shopping. Do not talk unnecessarily and remember they are strangers. Strangers who left you on a doorstep on a cold night. Now, not happy they've taken your parents, thy want you. Be careful. I won't come to that place and you are on your own there. I expect you to come home tonight."

"Yes Mam." Harry answered properly, but he was feeling a small amount of excitement and a huge amount of anxiety. He would be knowing more about his parents today, he was sure of that, that made him very excited, but that his Aunt had more or less told him, he was on his own scared him very much. He wondered about the money required for all of the things his letter said he'd need, but he decided to wait and see what the old people would do. He'd have to be very careful. Very careful indeed.

 _ **End of Chapter – 1**_

 _ **Chapter – 2**_

"Have you finished your breakfast?"

"Yes Aunt Petunia."

"Then go."

Harry looked at the old man, who smiled at him. He looked at his Aunt and walked towards the old man and smiled a small smile, before looking down. He decided he'd be shy and scared about everything. While he was not shy, he was scared indeed.

"Come Harry." Dumbledore said. "We will be using a means a magical transportation to get to the shopping area. Do not be scared." He said and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and a second later they vanished. Harry felt just like the time he had jumped to the top of his School, but before he could even think about that, they had landed smoothly, Dumbledore holding him tightly. Harry stumbled, but Dumbledore's grip helped and soon he was staring all around him. They were in a small place near what was clearly a magical lane. Dumbledore pulled him gently.

"Come let's move away. Else others will crash into us." Seeing the logic of what Dumbledore said, Harry quickly moved away and soon they were walking down that narrow lane.

"This is Diagon Alley Harry. This is the main shopping area of witches and wizards in all of Britain. Of course there are other shopping areas all around the Kingdom, but this is the largest." He watched delighted to see Harry's obvious awe, as he looked all around him.

"Firstly Harry," he continued in the same gentle tone, drawing Harry's reluctant attention to him. "You must know that your parents' left you a lot of money when they died. And a house where you lived before Lord Voldemort attacked your family."

Harry swallowed hard, unable to control his emotions at hearing about the death of his parents. "Where was it please?"

"A little village called Godric's Hollow." Saying so, he took out a small key and handed it over to Harry. "This is your vault key. Wizarding money is kept in vaults Harry, and the money is in charge of Goblins. They run a bank called Gringotts, which safeguards our wealth. This is your key, so keep it carefully and don't tell anyone that you have it and don't reveal the amount of wealth you have. It may attract the wrong type of people."

Harry took the small key with a muttered thanks and soon they were at Gringotts. "I'll take my leave of you Harry. Professor McGonagall will take care of you from now on. See you in September." He said and nodding to the goblins guarding the gate and nodding smilingly to Harry, Dumbledore turned on his feet and slowly ambled away. Harry stared, confused at the old man. He did not know what to think. Thankfully he was rescued by McGonagall.

"Come Potter. We don't have time to waste, if we have to get you back by nightfall."

They walked into the Bank and soon were speeding down to take money from his vault. When they reached there, Harry frowned. "Mam, I don't have a wallet." Then the goblin with them opened the door, and Harry vaguely registered that he'd need a money pouch. His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open as he saw the piles and piles of gold coins, silver coins and were they bronze? Coins all spread around carelessly and in huge mounds.

McGonagall was explaining the currency to him and the exchange rate into pounds.

He turned to the goblin, his eyes shining. "Sir, is there any way to access my money without coming into the Bank all the while and, is there a way to convert this into Pounds by magic?"

"Why Potter?" McGonagall frowned.

"Just so that I can some spending money Mam. My relatives won't bring me here and I don't want to take a large sum of money and keep it with me. We're told it's unsafe at our School." He said earnestly, looking at her to see if she would buy it. She did. He heaved a sigh of silent relief and turned to the Goblin.

Meanwhile the Goblin answered Harry's previous question. "Why, there is Mr. Potter. We have a Gringotts pouch that you can use. You can think of which type of currency you want to use and how much and that will bring the money to you from your Vault."

"How will I know I've not over spent? Is there a way to get any statement?"

The goblin looked at Harry with approval. "You can ask for a statement in the same manner Mr. Potter."

"I'm sorry, but one last question Sir. Can you make it so that only I can access the Pouch and that others will not be able to …" Harry looked at McGonagall who was increasingly looking uncomfortable, before squaring his shoulders. "Even see it or touch it?"

The goblin looked thoughtful for a moment. "Why I do believe we can Mr. Potter. Will you buying a pouch from us?"

"How much will it cost for everything Sir?"

"Ten Galleons Mr. Potter." As McGonagall started to protest the goblin continued. "It will have all kinds of protection and it will be most safe. Even if you happened to misplace it anywhere, it will return to you, the moment you leave a store or any other place without it. At home, you can leave it in your desk, trunk or cupboard by simply thinking it to be a safe place for the pouch. When you leave, the moment you want it, it'll come to you."

"I'll take it Sir."

"Potter it's too expensive, and it's not necessary at all."

"My cousin has the habit of taking my things and hiding them and my relatives will take the money for their own use, if they come to know I have money with me. That's why I thought of all this Mam."

McGonagall sighed. Dumbledore was not going to pleased. But she could see Harry's point. The boy's relatives were as nasty as they could get and she could not blame him. She sighed again. Dumbledore wanted Harry clueless about almost everything. She would have rebelled, but she knew he was on the right side, so whatever he did couldn't be bad. Which was why she had allowed him to place Harry with his relatives. She knew he'd always do the right thing. Perhaps she wouldn't tell him.

Harry purchased the pouch and smiled with satisfaction at a job well done.

From there the pair went to all the shops and McGonagall allowed herself to be humoured by Harry's questions, as he displayed his awe. Well at least now everything was going right. It was only a small hiccup at Gringotts and frankly she could not blame him for it. He had carefully placed the key into his pouch and while that pleased her, she was once again uncomfortable about what Dumbledore would say. But he had said that unless Harry gave the key, she was not to make a fuss, since they were in a public place. He'd told her that he'd take the key later.

So she left it and soon they were going from shop to shop and she was happy to see that he did not ask for any extra clothes apart from his school things. Dumbledore had been most insistent that Harry get the simplest of everything and not buy too many books at Flourish and Blotts bookstore and Harry had complied. Though he asked for a catalogue, which the store owner had been happy to give. McGonagall saw nothing wrong in that and soon they were on to the last shop, Ollivanders. Harry got his wand, a holly and phoenix feather one and a rather frightening explanation from Ollivander.

Hagrid had purchased a snowy white owl the other day and he wanted to gift Potter with it and McGonagall and Harry walked to Magical Menagerie and picked her up. A flushing Harry thanked her and then she led him to the same spot where they'd arrived in the morning and once again apparated Harry back to Privet Drive, this time casting a Notice-Me-Not Charm on them. She left him there to ring the bell and popped away, leaving a sardonically smiling Harry.

"You're late." His Aunt said she opened the door, scowling, though Harry was happy to see that the scowl faded when she realised no one was there. A frown replaced that scowl.

"How did you return?"

"The old lady popped me here and went away." He said.

His Aunt sniffed contemptuously. "No courtesy to ring the bell and drop you off inside. Cowards!"

She slowed Harry to go inside and shooed him upstairs. "Go and sort out all you've bought." She said mildly shocking Harry.

He went away to sort his things and neatly arrange them, realising that things were changing around Privet Drive and he could not be happier.

He was not called down to dinner and he sighed. Maybe things not changed as much as he thought. He heard his Aunt clearing the table, his stomach growling. McGonagall had not thought it to offer him lunch, and so his only meal had been breakfast. Of course he had been used to less, but that did not make him any less hungry. Suddenly his Aunt called to him.

To clean up, he hoped. He could grab a bit of food from the fridge or their plates even. He ran down. "Yes Aunt Petunia?"

He stopped at the table. There was a single plate filled with food. His eyes widened and his mouth beamed in a hopeful smile as he looked at his Aunt. Her lips tightened at his smile and his smile faltered.

"Eat." She clipped out. "Then clean your plate, put it away and go to bed. Quickly."

He nodded and rushed to sit at the table. "The old lady did not get me lunch." He offered as he started eating quickly.

Her lips tightened even more and she walked away without answering. Harry ate fast, and to his shock he soon felt pleasantly full. He grinned with happiness as he carefully cleaned the plate, checked the table for crumbs and went to his room. His relatives were in the sitting room, chatting and laughing with each other, and did not look up as Harry walked across.

Harry silently went to his room, shut the door and sat down on the rickety chair with a relieved sigh. _Now_ he could think.

Harry leaned forward and took an old note book and a small pencil that he'd used in St. Gorgory's.

Things I know and things I need to do before leaving for Hogwarts. He wrote carefully on the top of the page.

Obeying the Dursleys is far better than crossing them.

Dumbledore, McGonagall and Hagrid (he'd learnt the big man's name from McGonagall) had left him here, on a doorstep with magic on him so that the Dursleys would never send him away.

That part still made him shake his head in anger. These people _were_ cowards like his Aunt said. Dumbledore seemed to be the head of this and it looked like he had everyone dancing to his tunes. Including his relatives (though reluctantly), because they had be compelled by magic to take him in. That brought him to this next point.

In how many ways could magic control a person? Were there any way to stop that?

This was very important he realised. He needed to know in how many ways he could be controlled because once he left for Hogwarts he would not have his Aunt's protection; for what it was worth, Harry mildly sneered to himself. Then he realised he should be grateful that he was treated better now. But the gratitude wouldn't come, mainly because he knew it was not for him.

And he realised they had been controlled. Controlled to take him in. he shivered. He was grateful for that, for he knew the streets were bad and an orphanage with which they'd often threatened him with, just as bad. If they could do magic to control and change his relatives mind, then what else could they control? Could they control minds of students to keep them in line? Could they make students reveal their thoughts? Harry suddenly knew he'd have to go back to Diagon Alley and check if there was anything to protect his mind and his actions.

He knew that if there was a way to do this, there must be a way to protect one from it. He was determined to see if they had any. Perhaps he could ask the Goblins. McGonagall said they were the best warders and healers, though their services did not come cheap.

He decided to tell his Aunt everything and ask her for help. He knew she'd give it, if only to show the freaks she could beat them at their own game.

Learn about his parents.

He blinked his eyes rapidly. He had deliberately not thought of them, after the way he had tears leaking from his eyes last night in bed. They had been killed by some evil person, whose name no one dared to utter. Why had they come under that evil man's radar? How had _he_ survived? Why had he not been killed? Harry sat there despondent, wishing he was dead. Then he could be with his parents and not care about when his meal would come and what going to this School would bring. He'd not have a care in this world and he could leave everything to them.

He also needed to find out about his father's relatives. McGonagall said they were an old Pureblood family, then why had no one come to take care of him? Perhaps like the Dursleys they did not want him, Harry's lips trembled at the thought no one had cared. He wiped his eyes, scolding himself to be brave. He _knew_ he was alone. What he had to do was to survive until he was legally an adult and then he could go his own way, leaving the Dursleys and the Dumbledores behind. Perhaps he could even have someone to be happy with.

Harry spent the next few minutes happily thinking about a family that would be his. Then shaking his shoulder for indulging in wishful thinking, Harry turned to his list.

To see if he could purchase some elves.

McGonagall had told him about house elves, when she told him about the Goblins. There were House Elves, High Elves, Vampires, Dwarves, Gnomes, Werewolves, Centaurs and he was sure she mentioned a few more, but he had been too busy being shocked to notice the rest. He still felt shocked he thought. Then he'd asked about the House Elf, because that was something he'd never come across in Fairy Tales, when his teacher read them out to the class in Story Time every week.

McGonagall said they were elves that were born to serve other magical beings, and they lived off the magic of their Masters. They needed that Magic to live and in exchange they'd work for the family that gave them the Magic. He had wondered aloud if that would not drain the Master, and McGonagall had smiled and said no. they drew only a little and blended them with their own magic and suddenly they were strong enough to do whatever their family needed. They could cook, heal, clean and there were even elves who worked as assistants in the Law Offices, helping the lawyers she had said.

He'd decided that minute that he was going to get an elf to cook and clean, an elf to heal and an elf to help him with the law. Providing they were available and not too expensive. He decided to ask the Goblins about them too. McGonagall said that they would keep your secrets because they dealt with money, contracts and keeping secrets was important to that. Perhaps he could purchase the elves first. Then they could guide him for the rest. Now that was an idea.

Harry got excited as he thought of what the elves could get done for him, as McGonagall had said that elves were very loyal to their Masters and would never ever betray them.

To ask the Goblins if his eyes could be cured. If their healers were the best, then it made sense to get his eyes fixed from them.

To ask the Goblins if they would invest some of his money and increase it, so that he'd never have to worry too much about basic things in his life.

Of course he intended to work hard and earn as much as he could, but McGonagall told him that this would comfortably sufficient for his seven years at School, so he assumed that if he could invest some of his sixth and seventh year monies, then he could become more comfortable. Though he wondered if McGonagall was telling the whole truth. There was an awful lot of gold Galleons in his vault and what he had spent was almost nothing. But, better to ask. Why he could even purchase a modest home somewhere remote, where land would be cheap.

Harry grew excited as he thought of that. He could live with his elves and no one would be the wiser. He immediately wrote down another point.

See if I can live independently, with Aunt Petunia as still my guardian, but with the elves protecting my home and me.

Harry could not write another word after this. He knew if he could get away and be on his own in a nice little cottage with a sweet little garden, he'd be in heaven. He sat there for a long time dreaming, before he realised it was very late and putting away his pencil, he carefully tore the paper and placed it into his new money pouch. That way he knew no one would touch it, or even know it was there.

The goblins had given him a fine little Black pouch with a draw string that they said would never break. They nicked his hands, while a disapproving McGonagall looked on, and smeared the blood on the pouch, chanting something. To his surprise, the blood was absorbed and the Black bag gave a white glow before it became Black again.

The Goblin said, "There Mr. Potter. This pouch and its contents are completely secure. You will receive your Gringotts statements also through it, so remove them on the first of every month and peruse them carefully."

McGonagall had been very unhappy. In fact she had asked the Goblin why statements needed to be sent to him. And had been shocked into silence, when the Goblin snarled, whether he had not received any until now and if so, then why so. She had said that the Headmaster knew what he was doing and had dragged him out of there, hardly allowing him to thank them. The last he'd seen was an angry Goblin staring after her.

Harry lay down on his bed, thinking over and over again the events of the past few days before he went off to sleep. His last thought was that he knew hardly anything, he still had so much to learn.

 _ **End of Chapter – 2**_

 _ **Chapter – 3**_

The next morning Harry waited for a minute alone with his Aunt. He kept seeing her glance at him, when he silently came into the kitchen after a good, slightly long shower. He wished her a good morning and started working with her, not minding the fact she had not wished him back.

Normally he wouldn't have dared say anything, but today he thought he could make an effort and not be punished or jeered for it. When he was younger he had tried very hard to please them, but they usually laughed and jeered at him, and slowly he had learnt his lesson they kept teaching him. That he was neither wanted nor liked by them. It had hurt badly, and it still hurt, but now he had learned never to take anything for granted and to shrug off any shouting or the occasional slapping.

Both of them worked silently and prepared breakfast. Harry helped her set the table and sighed mentally when she placed only three plates. Then, she took out a fourth one, heaped food, normal size portions which made his eyes grow wide in anticipation and gave it to him.

"Take it to your room. And come back and take this." She said pouring a large glass of milk.

"Yes Aunt Petunia. Thank you." He said, before he took it to his room and carefully placed it on his table and ran down for the milk. He took it up and shut the door, when he heard his cousin walk down. He was glad he missed Dudley. If he had been tripped and his food thrown around his Uncle would have punished him no end and he could forget about asking his Aunt about anything.

He ate slowly relishing his food and washed it down with a large glass of milk, his first large glass, he noticed with a smile and carefully took the plate and glass down after a decent interval. The kitchen was empty and his Aunt was in the living room watching TV. He washed the plate and glass and a few other dishes which were in the sink and put them on the rack to dry and swallowing hard, he walked into the living room.

His Aunt did not look up and so he stood there silently, waiting for her to speak. A few minutes later she turned to him and snapped. "What?"

He started speaking. "Aunt Petunia, I want to ask you permission to let me go to Diagon Alley once more. McGonagall did not allow me to buy any more than my school books, but I would like to see if there are second hand books about mind control. I'm scared to go to that School, and it looks like I'll have to, but what if they control me in such a way I become a danger to normal folks? Those people seem to do anything they like and make others follow them effortlessly, especially normal folks, and I don't want them to make me different. "

Her lips had thinned impossibly when he had started speaking, and now she was scowling in a way, Harry thought he had made huge mistake. He should have kept quiet, he knew, instead he had gone and opened his mouth and now, he was probably going back to his Cupboard.

He started backtracking quickly. 'If you think its unnecessary Aunt Petunia, then I won't do anything. I'm sorry to disturb you."

He stood there, shifting from one foot to another, nervous and cursing himself as he realised he had made a mistake.

He jumped when his Aunt spoke. "You are right boy. They left you here and walked away, because they had _that thing_. I'll take you tomorrow and drop you there and you will be ready for us at 6 in the evening. If I know you've bought anything to hurt us … " she threatened.

"I promise I won't Aunt Petunia. I swear." He said as earnestly as he could. She nodded and Harry calmed himself as he managed to mutter a heartfelt thank you at her, before he ran up. He spent the rest of the day being excited and bit fearful about the next day. He decided to visit Gringotts first, elves second and then the bookshop. Harry could hardly sleep and the next day he ran down nice and early and started with breakfast. When his Aunt came in after a while, he was almost halfway through. She pursued her lips in an expression Harry could not discern and he was shocked when she told him to go and get ready.

Not wanting to do anything to stop the trip, Harry went upstairs and got the Gringotts pouch and then, carefully put a large shabby coat and stuffed an old hat on his head. McGonagall had told him he was famous, and he did not want to be recognised, before he knew what he was in that world. His Aunt scowled at him and was about to snap, when he spoke hurriedly.

"I thought this was a good disguise Aunt Petunia." He said as Dudley guffawed. Harry glared at him, before he turned to his Aunt. "I don't want anyone to recognise me."

"Where will you get money for this boy?"

This was the question Harry was waiting for. He knew it'd come sooner or later. "MY parents have left me a little Wizarding money Uncle Vernon. For my Schooling. I thought I'd take the sixth and seventh year books money and spend it today at the bookshop. Later, hopefully I can get some jobs and earn back the money, and replace it, before Dumbledore notices."

The last words quietened Vernon Dursley as Harry knew it would. If they knew his vault was being checked, they'd not bother about it and this way, they knew Harry did not have much money with him. He wouldn't be able to wear brand new clothes right now, but Harry thought that he'd be able to buy and use them for School and get away next summer, by saying he had the clothes magically altered by a senior year.

Soon Harry was dropped off at The Leaky Cauldron and wearing a large hat he carefully entered The Leaky Cauldron. Tom saw him but did not say anything. Harry nodded his thanks and walked to the bricks and stood there dismayed. He'd forgotten the where to tap. He heaved an annoyed sigh and was about to turn to go get the old barkeeper, when the door opened. Quickly Harry stepped away a little and bent down as if to tie his shoes. A family came in chattering; someone tapped the bricks, and Harry quickly looked up and saw the pattern. He'd gone about it completely wrong.

The doorway to Diagon Alley opened and Harry stood up and followed the family into Diagon Alley. He smiled in relief. Well he was here. Now he had to go about and complete his list. He thought he'd look at all the shops he'd visited the day before. Perhaps he'd find something that'd be useful to him.

He walked towards Gringotts and stepped inside. The bank was nearly empty and he was grateful for that. He walked to a counter and quietly asked to see a Goblin privately.

"Why?" the Goblin asked harshly.

"It's personal business Sir. I don't want to discuss it in front of anyone."

The Goblin glared at him for a long minute, before pressing a small bell. Another Goblin came out of a far room, and the Goblin at the counter barked something to him in Gobbledegook.

"Follow me." The other Goblin said and soon Harry was seated in a small room.

"Yes?"

Harry took out his list. He remembered one more thing he had been thinking about when McGonagall told him about his fame and that some witches had left him their vaults, which Dumbledore had merged with his. So he started. He first removed his hat and looked directly at the Goblin, who looked startled to see Harry, and then looked eagerly at him for some reason. Harry had forgotten about the altercation between the Goblins and McGonagall, when he'd been here with her.

"Sir, I want to ask you a few things. One; I want to ask you if I have inherited anything else other than what I was taken to the other day." Saying so, Harry took out his Vault key and showed it to the Goblin and put it back again. The Goblin eyed the pouch and looked at Harry again.

"Second," Harry said trying not to tremble too much, "Do your healers offer their services? I would like to have them check me over and cure my eye power if they can. Third, I wish to purchase some elves. Can I do that without anyone knowing, and can you help me with it? Fourth, are there ways people can control others through magic. One's actions and mind? If so, can I protect myself from them and can you help me with it? And lastly for now Sir, can you invest some of my money in the magical and non-magical world?"

The last question make the Goblin blink and he slowly smiled at Harry. Harry was terrified by it and tried hard not to show it.

"We can do all that Mr. Potter. Now tell me whether you've received any statements from us until now? You should have started to receive them since you were eight."

"No Sir."

The Goblin stared at him.

"Gringotts can do all that you asked for Mr. Potter. How much you want to invest? And do you have any specific business?"

"I don't have any specific business in mind. I really don't know about businesses. I thought since you had kept our money safely and since McGonagall told me that you usually took care of money and investment, I came to you to see if you could help me multiply it." He gulped.

The Goblin laughed harshly. Harry shivered and a look of fear came upon his face.

"After a long time, a wizard has come with some sense. I will help you with everything Mr. Potter. And we will invest some of your money, a nice thirty percent into magical and non-magical businesses. If we're successful, we'll re invest the same thirty percent, while adding the profits to your vault."

Harry tried to calm himself down. This was not bad, he kept repeating to himself.

"No one will know? You send statements to Dumbledore. He'll ask them for it, if you don't send them I'll be in trouble and he'll take my key away from me."

"Stop Mr. Potter." The Goblin said. "Nothing like that will happen. I will take care of it. If he asks you, tell him you get it, but don't really read it. If he asks you, give it to him. I'll place a special charm that will tell him exactly what he wants to know."

Harry heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off his brow. He smiled at the Goblin, who stared at him unblinkingly.

"How much should I pay you for doing this Sir?"

The Goblin looked startled. "I'll take my usual fees required by the Bank and it will be in the Contract I draw up. Three percent. You object?"

"Oh no Sir." Harry shook his head fervently. He looked at his watch and then blushed. "Um, Sorry, I was instructed to meet my Aunt at 6, that's all."

"It's only eleven Mr. Potter. We have a lot of time. I'll do an inheritance test and then take you to a healer. While you're being looked at, I will draw up a contract."

"I don't know about them." Harry cried frazzled. "I'm sorry, I must have known it was a bad idea. I don't know how to check contracts. I just thought to make myself safe."

The Goblin smiled gently. "Not to worry Mr. Potter. Lot of people don't know. I'll teach you. Multiplying money is always good. For you and the Bank. Do not withdraw."

The Goblin quickly drew up a parchment, seeing that Harry was becoming scared as the time went by. "Show me your hand Mr. Potter." He said and pricked Harry's finger and let three drops of blood fall on the parchment.

In a minute the parchment started writing.

 _Head of Stinchcombe by birth_

 _Head of Peverell by birth_

 _Head of Fleamont by birth_

 _Head of Potter by birth_

 _Head of Slytherin by conquest_

 _Head of Flattermore by Magic_

Harry looked at it, stunned. What did all this mean and Slytherin by conquest? What was that?

The Goblin looked excited.

"Mr. Potter, all these vaults have a lot of money. We can use money from one vault to invest and leave your vault alone. That way no one will be the wiser."

Harry stared at him stunned. "Who are all these people?"

"Your relatives from your father's side. To understand clear understanding you must do a Genealogy test that will help you know who's who in your family. The Dark Lord Voldemort was the Heir of Slytherin when you defeated him. So the Slytherin Magic granted itself to you. That is a great honour in the Wizarding World Mr. Potter."

Harry was stunned. When he defeated that evil man, he got a vault? Slytherin Vault?! What the hell?

"Is that test very expensive? How long will it take?"

"You can take the blank tapestry home and then place three drops of blood on it, like you did just now. It will show you all your forefathers and mothers. For you Mr. Potter this test is not expensive at all."

Harry was excited. "I'll do that then, thank you."

"From which vault shall I take money?" the Goblin asked.

"Which has the lowest amount?" Harry asked curiously.

"The Flattermore Vault; but you must accept them first." The Goblin said, consulting something. He handed over the statements of all the vaults. Harry took them, but decided he would see them later in private.

"How?"

"By signing here." The Goblin said. Harry looked at the simple forms, each which declared that he was accepting the Headship of all that House with all it entailed. Harry would have ideally liked to know more, but he realised he really did not have the time and he also realised he might not get another opportunity. He hesitated for a long minute and then squaring his shoulders, he took the quill and signed his name smudging the paper quite a bit with his blood?!

"These need to be signed in blood." The Goblin offered and as Harry signed his name on all the parchments, the Goblin pressed a small crystal and spoke into it. In five minutes, another Goblin rushed in, bearing some boxes.

The Goblin opened an old Black leather box and took out a big gold ring with a large emerald in the centre.

"Put them on your right hand ring finger Mr. Potter. All the rings. The magic will allow them to be fused and also become invisible until you wish to reveal them to others."

Harry looked at them. "What will they do?"

The Goblin sighed. "I do not know Mr. Potter. Some rings like the Slytherin ring and the Stinchcombe ring are supposed to have special properties, but I would not know. You have to wear them, and then you will know. Now are you going to put them on or not? We're wasting time here."

"Can I wear them later?"

"Of course you can. You are already Head of all these Houses, the moment you signed the parchments."

He stood up. "We can visit the Healers, before you purchase elves. You can, after you reach your home, call your elves to you, and if you need anything more after that, write a letter and place it in this box, and I'll get it and do the needful."

The Goblin gave Harry a small box.

"We can communicate safely like this."

Harry smiled for the first time in a long while. Finally something he understood and agreed with wholeheartedly. It was not, he told himself that he disagreed with what had happened here, but he felt too many things were happening too fast, for him to keep up with, and that made him scared.

He stood up carefully placing the small box into his pouch and followed the Goblin.

 _ **End of chapter – 3**_

 _ **Chapter – 4**_

The Goblin Healer was an old woman, who looked at him and tutted.

"Has he been fed at all?" was her first question. Harry blushed.

"Lie down." She said. The Goblin who had brought him to her had not said a word.

Harry looked at the Goblin Healer and then at the Goblin who had brought him here.

"Do not waste my time young one. Lie down or leave."

Harry sighed, not for the first time wondering why he had to rely on himself all the time. Could he not have someone in his corner for once? He went and quietly lay down.

"I would like to heal my eyes if you can, please." He said.

The Goblin healer did not answer. She was busy taking out some crystals and a short staff. She arranged the crystals around him and then she started chanting, powering the crystals with her short staff. Harry felt his body growing warm and nice.

Then she cursed and he was startled out of his cocoon. He jerked up, startled, and he was pushed back harshly, by the still cursing Goblin healer. The other Goblin's eyes grew wide. Harry was now very scared. What had he got into? But he dared not move, just in case he was cursed by this old Goblin.

At last, after a very long time, it seemed to him, the Goblin stopped her chanting and looked sternly at him.

"You knew or you did not know?"

"Of course I knew." Harry said resenting the old woman's tone. He defended himself as the old woman's look became even sterner if that were possible. "They don't feed me much and I know I'm probably not as healthy as I should be and Aunt Petunia got these glasses at a charity do, so I know these are not fitted to my prescription, but what can I do? I dare not say anything." He said and then abruptly shut up. He knew he'd said more than he should have. If these folks contacted his Aunt, he was as good as dead, he knew.

"Don't tell them I complained. Please." He beseeched her. She was standing there shocked at what she was hearing.

"I was not talking about that Mr. Potter. I was talking about a soul embedded in your scar."

Harry stared at her stupidly. What had she said? He had a soul in his scar? Whatever did that mean?

"What?" he asked her, unable to think.

Her gaze softened as she read his thoughts and saw his confusion and shock.

"You are malnourished and your eyes have power because they've not been treated properly. I can cure all that. But this soul bit seems to be stuck in your scar and it seems to be nearly ten years old, which means you have had this since the night you vanquished the Dark Lord." She frowned. "You must have been checked before you were left with your relatives. This would have come up in all scans, even ordinary ones. Why were you not treated for it? Or even protected from it? It could have a negative effect you know?"

Harry was horrified. "Can you remove it?" he asked shakily.

"Of course I can; it is a difficult process that may or may not affect you, I won't know until it's done." She looked at him calculatingly. "Should I still go ahead?"

Harry nodded furious and frightened. "Yes please." There was no way he was going to live with a piece of his parents' murderer in his head.

She took two large crystals and placed them one over his heart and the other on centre of his forehead. She started chanting and Harry knew no more.

A long while later, Harry woke and blinked around him. He was in a room, and he frowned as he struggled to remember where he was. Then the events of the morning rushed back to him. He gasped and looked around and saw the Healer standing triumphant, but tired at the foot of the cot where he lay. He smiled at her.

"Is it gone?" he asked, lifting his hand to feel his scar.

"It has indeed Mr. Potter. Don't worry anymore. You are perfectly fine. You'll see that your magical abilities also improve, since they won't be hampered by a part of them protecting yourself from the soul."

"Thank you Mam." He said smiling more widely. He was feeling very tired; and he tried to stop his eyes from closing, when the Goblin healer handed him a vial of potion. He drank the tasteless potion and found his tiredness vanishing. He took a look at his watch and yelped. It was three in the afternoon.

"I have to meet my Aunt by 6. I've not done any shopping at all." He tried to stand up, but the Healer pushed him back. You will remain here for another hour Mr. Potter." She said sternly. "You will feel dizzy otherwise. Also, I still have to treat your eyes and take a note of your magical abilities and give them to you. That will be helpful to you, to train yourself."

Harry's face crumpled in disappointment. "I wanted to do a few very important things; to start the process of getting myself out of my Aunt's home."

The Healer looked a long moment at him. "Well we do have a small something. I can help you go back in time to today morning, to the moment you stepped into the Bank."

Harry's eyes widened in astonishment. "You can? I can? How?"

The Healer smiled. "It's called a time turner Mr. Potter. Gringotts usually does not help wizards so, but you are a special case are you not? A soul of the darkest wizard in recent decades inside you and no one seems to have bothered _and_ you all malnourished. What would the Wizarding World say if they knew their Saviour was being treated worse than an elf?'

"Please don't say anything to anyone. Please." Harry begged. "And thank you very much Mam for the help with time thing. I want to go back to the Goblin I met earlier and ask him if I can purchase any house elves to help me."

"Of course you can purchase elves through Gringotts. But why do that when you can call your own elves to you?"

"My elves?" Harry wondered, not realising that Goblin Healers never talked so much to their patients, especially Wizarding clients, who were very rare in the first place. But this old Healer had been shocked at both Harry's malnourishment and evidence of clear abuse and horrified by the soul in scar. That should have come up under all scans even ordinary ones, and she was at a loss to know why he was left the way he was. So she'd decided to help him.

"Yes, your elves Mr. Potter. As head of so many Houses, you must be having some elves, if not many. Call them to you."

"How?" asked Harry, bewildered.

"By saying, 'my elves to me'. If you have any elf, they'd pop in here. I'll wait."

Harry hesitated then shrugged. What was the worst thing that could happen with this? He had trusted this strange Goblin woman in so much today already. What was one more thing going to do?

"My elves, to me." Harry said into the room, feeling very foolish and silly.

A second later, more than a dozen pops could be heard, as elves popped into the room. Harry looked at them amazed, and they stared back to him. There were more than a dozen elves and now Harry did not know what to do. Fortunately the elves did.

"Master Harry." One elf popped near him and hugged his legs. "I is sorry, I am the last Potter elf. The other elves died, because of lack of magic from Master. I would have died in a year too. But Master called." He said in a wondrous voice.

"Does Master Harry wants to take Tippy as his elf?" he continued in a hopeful tone, as Harry stared at him, coming to terms with the fact his other Potter elves had died.

Seeing his silence, the elf's face fell. He took a step back, when Harry shook himself out of the rage he was feeling. Whoever placed him with the Dursleys could have bonded his elves to him. They would not have died for lack of a Master of all things. Harry felt like crying. He blinked his eyes furiously, when he noticed the elf's face drooping and he called out to Tippy.

"Of course I'll take you as my elf Tippy. I'll take all of you as my elves, if you'll have me as your master." He declared and was thrilled as the elves came to him eagerly and bonded with him, by the simple act of touching him. "I was only sad Tippy that so many of you had died. You could all have been saved if only you had been allowed to bond with me before I was taken to the Dursleys."

The next second Harry shrunk into himself as a grateful Tippy hugged his legs and howled all over him. It took some time, but Harry gradually dismissed all the elves except Tippy. Almost all of them were from Slytherin House and two were from the Stinchcombe family. Tippy was only the one from the Potters. On advice from the Goblin Healer, Harry ordered his elves to always keep his secret and then sent them away. Tippy remained.

"Can you stay with me, without anyone knowing about it?"

"Of course Is can Master Harry." Tippy was delirious with joy as he looked as his Master.

"Thank you." Harry said and was bemused to see the little elf crying in joy. He hoped.

The old Goblin woman looked at all this and she was pleased and was a tad relieved that her idea of offering a time turner to this boy had not been wrong.

"Do you need more elves to look after where we Potters lived?" Harry asked and then he frowned. "Do we have a home?"

"Of course we do Master Harry. We have a home in Godric's Hollow and another Manor in Scotland, near Hogwarts. That is the Potter ancestral seat Master Harry."

Harry blinked as he took all this in. "Please purchase what elves you need. But don't take money from the Potter account. Take what money you need from the Flattermore account. You know how to do this don't you. Take money from my vaults?"

"Of course I know Master Harry. I will do that."

Harry turned to the Goblin Healer, who had been waiting patiently and smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry to make you wait all this time."

"Don't be Mr. Potter. I did say I'll wait."

She made him lie down again and treated his eyes, by the simple method of pouring a potion that seemed to burn his eyes, or so it looked to Harry. He wanted to scream, but he found he could not. A second later, the burning sensation vanished, and a cool feeling crept over his eyes, making him feel most relived. He also found that he could move and he glared a bit at the Healer who smiled at him nonchalantly.

Then Harry realised he could see perfectly and beamed. "Thank you. I can see."

She laughed. "Of course you can."

Harry took a minute to think about what else he wanted from the Goblins. It was half past four, but now he was not too bothered, since the Healer had promised to send him back in time. With all that had happened, Harry realised that he had not even blinked at that. Going back to the morning again. How wonderful.

"Can people control me through magic? Control my mind through magic? If they can, is there anything I can do to protect myself?"

The Goblin Healer bared her teeth in a feral smile. "Of course you can be mind controlled and of course we have something for that. All our Goblins have to take this Potion, since we deal primarily with money and for that we need our minds to be safe, protected and clear."

She turned and went to the shelves and drew out a small vial. "Take this Potion Mr. Potter and you'll find that no one can peep into your mind or influence you."

Harry took the small vial and drank it without a word. He gagged at the horrible taste and thanked the Healer. He was much relieved. No one could ever harm him by attacking his mind.

By then the Healer had in her hand a small object. Harry stared at it, instinctively knowing that it was the thing that would help him go back to that morning. Go back. How strange and magical. Harry giggled and then straightened up at the Healer's stern look.

"I'm breaking a few laws here Mr. Potter. But I'm doing this for you, because I know how ill you've been treated until now." Tippy's face turned ferocious. Someone had been ill-treating his wizard. Well not anymore. Tippy was here and he was going to protect Master Harry or else.

Harry's face turned solemn, especially when he came to know that it was not quite right to use a time turner. He had thought until then, that anyone could use it. But it looked as if it were not the case.

"I won't say a word Miss Healer. Thank you so much foreverything."

"See that you don't tell anyone about it." She warned and setting a button on it, she placed the chain holding the instrument onto his neck and after a moment's thought on to Tipp's neck as well. Tippy beamed.

"Thanks yous Master Healer." He squeaked in joy, jumping up and down.

"You take care of your Master now." She ordered him and placed a box in his hands. "His medicines. You know how to give him? There are instructions inside."

Tippy nodded fervently. I do master Healer. I will give this to Master Harry do not worry."

"Then goodbye Mr. Potter."

Harry held out his hand. "I can never thank you enough Madam. You have done so much for me. Thanks very, very much." He said his heartfelt gratefulness shining in his face.

The Healer looked at him for a second. She could no longer read his mind, but she could hardly mistake his gratitude and his earnestness. She smiled a rare smile. "You are welcome Mr. Potter. Take care and if you have any need of me, you are welcome any time."

Harry grinned and then looked flustered for a second, before he stammered. "Your, your payment?"

She laughed making a guttural sound that was quite nice to hear, Harry decided. "I will have it deducted from your vault. You want to know how much it will be?"

Harry shook his head at once, making the Goblin healer pleased. "No. I just wanted to know that's all."

She took her staff and touched the instrument and muttered a few words and then said to him. "The time turner will disappear once you go back, so don't worry. Just walk out of the Bank and go about your job. Alright?"

Harry checked himself for everything and he nodded, excitement thrumming his whole body. He looked up at the Goblin Healer and asked her nervously, "Are there any special books I should buy and learn Mam?" The Goblin Healer looked speculatively at him and then conjured a piece of parchment and wrote in it and gave it to him. "Buy these Books in Knockturn Alley. You won't get them in Diagon Alley. These will help you."

She thrust the list at Harry and muttered a few more words and then touched the instrument once again and Harry felt himself swirling hard, even as he thought that the swirling did not make him giddy.

A few seconds later he was in a small room and as he steadied himself, the chain and the instrument vanished. He stood still for a minute getting his bearings straight and turned to see if Tippy was alright and then laughed softly. He had gone back in time. What a wonder. He revelled in that feeling, before he turned to Tippy.

"We're going shopping Tippy. Can you come with me without anyone knowing that you are with me?" he asked, hoping the elf understood.

Fortunately he did. "Master Harry wants me to stay invisible?"

"You can?" Harry asked stunned.

Tippy snapped his fingers and Harry couldn't see him anymore. He shivered in excitement. "That's it Tippy." He cried. "That'll do thank you. Please be with me always."

Tippy nodded, though Harry could not see him. "I will Master Harry." He replied and Harry was off.

 _ **End of Chapter – 4**_

 _ **Chapter – 5**_

Harry stepped out from the small room and found himself in the main Hall of Gringotts. He strode confidently for a minute, before he stopped suddenly and turned back and ran into the small room again.

"Tippy!" he whispered urgently. "Can you change my hair and eye colour and cover my scar with magic, and make me look and sound a bit older? But don't change my height." he asked hopefully.

A few snaps later, Harry heard the elf whisper. "It's done Master Harry. You is having brown hair, brown eyes and no scar, and you looks old."

"Oh thank you Tippy." Harry breathed a sigh of relief as his voice sounded deep and slightly guttural. He had had this thought of this as he was striding across the Hall. What if someone saw him and reported to Dumbledore? That had made him run back and he hoped no one saw him when he was on his way to the Bank that morning … he blinked and then grinned. Not that morning, but _now_ about half an hour ago. He looked at his watch and grinned again, when it said 9.20. He had time. Lots of it.

He strolled out of the Bank and walked along Diagon Alley. He first went to the Leaky Cauldron and had a huge breakfast and told Tippy to have what he wanted as well. That bought a fresh bout of tears and Harry hastily ordered the elf not to make a scene and reveal them to others. That quietened the excitable elf and soon after a most satisfactory breakfast, they were off to explore Diagon Alley.

Harry stopped by the trunk store and got a bottomless bag and a book trunk. He was going to equip himself to the utmost. From there, he walked to Madam Malkins and bought everyday robes, undergarments, handkerchiefs, socks, shoes and boots. He made sure to use the money from the Flattermore account, so that he could do his accounting properly.

He asked his elf to purchase elves for accounting, cooking, gardening and anything else Tippy may require. He once again comforted a joyously tearful Tippy, when he requested the elf to be his personal elf. That done, he visited the apothecary and purchased a whole set of ingredients and also a book that explained how each ingredient worked with each other and the importance and the difference in reactions of chopping, slicing, cutting, tearing, mashing and the like. Harry was wonderstruck at the fact that it looked like a small difference between cutting into cubes and rectangles could affect the potion, sometimes even make it explode.

He wandered into almost all the stores in Diagon Alley and got the catalogues he had missed the other day, to peruse them at leisure. Then it was time for lunch. After another satisfactory lunch, Harry decided to venture into Knockturn Alley. He had decided to keep Flourish and Blotts for the very end. He had a catalogue already, and if he could not make it, he knew he could send Tippy to make the purchases for him. But this exploring he knew he would not be able to do again, until next year.

After lunch, Harry decided he was going to be bold. He asked Tippy to place magic on him to protect him, since he whispered to Tippy that he would be venturing into Knockturn Alley. Tippy at once placed a lot of Charms on him to protect him from the residents of Knockturn Alley. While the Alley was not too bad, it had got a reputation that was sometimes deserved.

Harry armed with the best spells walked nervously into Knockturn Alley. He need not have worried. For while most residents could see through Wizarding glamour and spells, they had never seen through elf spells and Charms that made Harry look older and the Charms that made people in Knockturn Alley shy away from that small wizard who looked mean.

He stepped into Borgin and Burkes and wandered silently through the Dark artefacts. He looked through and purchased a tall cabinet in the corner that Mr. Borgin said was a vanishing cabinet, though he admitted that the other part of it was misplaced. Harry haggled with the price and purchased it, thinking that if he stepped into the cabinet, he would vanish. He thought at the time that it would be a useful hiding place from the Dursleys. Though they had improved, it was best to be prepared.

Since he could not take the cabinet, which Mr. Borgin told him in an oily manner could not be shrunk, when Harry asked him to shrink it, Harry had requested him to keep it, and that he would send his elf and collect it. He was told to send the receipt with the elf, upon which Harry exited the dark and dingy shop.

From there, he wandered into a Bookstore that had very interesting titles. The Art of Dark, The Magic of Wards, Spells the Ministry would prefer You Not Learn, Parselmagic the Language of Snakes, Wizarding Customs, Rituals, Simple and Complicated Potions, Potions No one Would Tell You About, Lost Runes, Runic Magic and their importance, Spell Creation and Arithmancy Basics were some of the titles that Harry picked up simply because they sounded interesting. He browsed for more books on Parselmagic, since he knew that he could speak to and understand snakes, and opening the books on wards, he was thrilled to find it was written by a man called Octavian Potter, which led to him buying a whole range of books on wards, from Simple Wards for the ordinary Witch and Wizard to Wards that No One can Break.

He also read through the list and the Books the Goblin Healer have given him. Simple rituals for the ordinary wizard or witch was another one. Runic Magic was a book he had already picked out, but since the Healer had written about Runes, he decided get a few more books on them.

In all Harry had some forty books on various subjects. He knew most were probably very complicated for him, but he was doing this because he did not know if he would get another chance. He also asked if this store had a catalogue and was pleased when he was told they had one and the store owner gave him the small book.

He gave the parcel to Tippy and walked out. The next store was called Knockturn Wands and Harry walked inside feeling that a second wand no one knew about would make him feel safer. He heard the bell ring inside and soon a small man came out and Harry gruffly told him he needed a new wand, since his old one was broken.

The man did not seem to bother about any explanations. "Hold your hand over these woods and choose one."

Harry chose two, since both seemed right to him, and he thought the wand-maker would make him choose between them. To his surprise the man did nothing like that. "Holly and Ebony." The man grimaced. "Tough to work with. Hmm. Choose your cores."

Harry chose three. The small man grunted in annoyance. "Phoenix feather, dragon heartstring from a particularly vicious Horntail and unicorn blood freely given. It will take half an hour. You want to stay or go?"

"Stay." Harry told him

Harry stayed silent as the wand maker worked and at last he looked up. "You want to use your blood?"

"Will it help? How?"

The man rolled his eyes. "Of course it will help. It will make the wand more powerful, though it's illegal."

Harry hesitated and then nodded. He walked up to the man, and allowed the man to prick his finger and drop seven drops of blood onto the wand core. Harry watched fascinated as the core soaked up the blood and sizzled for a second before becoming still. The man looked up again.

"Want Runes?"

Harry had no clue but he nodded. He'd look it up later and if it was dangerous, he'd not use this wand.

The man nodded back and started with the Runes, which were getting carved on the inside of the wood that would be sealed. Harry stared intently and ten more minutes later the man finished and started chanting softly. The wand sealed seamlessly and flashed once before laying still.

"There finished. Pick it up and hold it firmly for a minute until it bonds with you and recognises you and your magic."

Harry stepped forwards and slowly picked up the wand. A rush of ecstatic feeling screamed through him and he waved the wand and watched the sparkles fly away from it. He grinned in a most silly manner and breathed out. God that was fun he thought, before he calmed himself and asked the wand maker how much it cost.

"Thirty five galleons, and I'll throw in a wand holster." He said throwing a wand holster on the counter.

Harry picked it up and handed over the money. "Thank you. It's perfect. Better than my old wand."

"No trace on this kid. Use it wisely."

Harry stared at the man, but he was already walking inside. Harry stood there uncertain for a minute, then walked out. He was getting just a bit freaked out, and decided he had enough of Knockturn Alley. He walked as confidently as he could. He reached Diagon Alley and looked at his watch. Five o clock. Well he still had an hour to go and he decided to go to The Leaky Cauldron and have something, just in case the Dursleys decided not to feed him. He ate and bought a packed meal for Tippy, something that Harry later learnt would make the elf go into tears of rapture and then Harry walked out into the Muggle World to wait for his Aunt.

 _ **End of Chapter – 5**_

 _ **Chapter – 6**_

Once Harry was out in the Muggle World, he asked Tippy to remove his glamours. Tippy did so and Harry spoke softly to the little elf.

"Tippy, my relatives don't like magic. So don't make yourself seen by them under any circumstances ok?"

"Yes Master Harry."

"Remove a few books and make them look second hand and old and also make the book bag look old and torn, so that my Aunt won't question the money I spent for them."

A few flicks later, Harry sat down on the curb to wait for his relatives. They were half an hour late.

Harry silently got into the car and went back to Privet Drive. His Aunt spoke to him not unkindly.

"Did you get your Books?"

"Yes Aunt. The books on mind control are Occ, Occlu, sorry, I can't get the name. It means to stop someone from reading one's mind and try to control them through Legi something. I'm planning to read it and try my best to practise it as much as I can before I leave for that place. I hope I won't be controlled there."

Harry's tone wobbled in spite of himself and his Aunt turned around and looked at him. "You do that. You're excused from all your chores for the next month. You will spend every minute of your time reading and practising that thing. I will not have you controlled and stupid, harming us, you understand boy?"

Harry nodded, the worried look not vanishing, despite the knowledge he would not have any chores. His Aunt had not given him any chores the last few days and while it was good to know that it would continue until he left for that School, he was still scared of what he might face there and what he'd do if he were controlled, especially now that he was Head of so many important Houses.

They reached home and his Aunt sent him to his room. "Shut the door and make sure you keep it clean. No magic tricks on the room and start studying right away. Go."

Harry muttered his thanks and went to his room and carefully closed the door.

Then in a whisper he said, "Tippy, can you make sure they won't come into the room, but won't get suspicious about it?"

"It is done Master Harry."

"You can be visible Tippy, unless you're in their presence. They be sure to stay invisible ok?"

Tippy nodded. "Does Master Harry want Tippy to unpack for him?"

Harry smiled. "Yes please."

A few snaps of Tippy's fingers and Harry's things were all sorted away neatly.

"Shall I rearrange the room Master Harry, make it bigger?"

Harry thought for a second and the reluctantly shook his head. "Better not Tippy. I don't want to set Aunt Petunia off to her old ways again. Can she hear what we speak in this room?"

Tippy sniffed. "She can't hear Master Harry. Tippy has warded the room. They's not entering at all, unless Master Harry wants them to. They cannot hear what we speak in here."

Harry beamed at Tippy. "That's great." Then suddenly another thought stuck him. "Can we hear her, when, I mean _if_ she calls me for food or something?"

"Yes we can. But Master Harry need not worry. Tippy can pop out and buy food from Diagon Alley."

Harry sighed in relief. He sent Tippy to Potter Manor and told him he'd call for him, whenever he needed him.

The last month and a bit was the best in Harry's life that he could remember. He woke up early every day, got Tippy to get him a full glass of milk. His Aunt usually called him for breakfast after his Uncle had left for work and Dudley had gone out to play. By then Harry had finished one lot of studying. After breakfast he continued to study until lunch, where he cleaned up a normal lunch provided by his Aunt. After that, he took the afternoon off from studying. He took his Aunt's permission and went to the nearby Park and from there asked Tippy to take him to Potter Manor, where he practised his magic.

The first time he had visited the Manor, he had been overwhelmed by its grandeur. Knowing that there were portraits of his ancestors inside made Harry want to speak to them. He was sorry that there weren't any portraits of his parents or grandparents, but there were quite a few Potters available for discussion and learning. He asked all of them to swear not to say anything about him to anyone else.

"Why?" had demanded Brutus Potter, one of his ancestors who had lived in the 1200's.

So Harry had explained all about his life and his current position and his suspicions about the Headmaster of Hogwarts. That had outraged the Potters and they had quite happily agreed to keep his secrets and also to teach him. And they taught him a lot. He spent each afternoon learning about Wizarding Customs and practical magic and availing the wonderful library in the Manor.

He dropped his blood on the Gringotts tapestry the Goblins had given him and had been thrilled to learn about his family. He had also placed the Rings on his fingers. The Peverell and the Slytherin Rings were a veritable fount of information, about the School and the other Founders and everything. He also placed the cabinet he got from Borgin and Burkes in the Manor. Finding out from the portraits that it was a vanishing cabinet, Harry became too frightened to venture inside. He ordered Tippy to place wards on the cabinet so that no one could enter inside the Manor using the other cabinet.

In the evening, he returned exhausted and happy to Privet Drive and went to the bathroom and had a long shower. Tippy had ensured that no one would disturb Harry when he was in the bathroom. After his shower, he went down to help his Aunt with dinner. He had dinner and after cleaning up, he went to his room to study again until it was time to sleep.

Harry made sure he read the first three chapters in all his subjects. Once he'd tackled the lessons as he called him in his mind, he started on the extras. He studied Occlumency and Legilimency books he had bought to show his Aunt in case she had wanted to see them, and was very relieved that he had a Goblin Potion to already ward his mind. This sounded very difficult. He never realised that the potion he had taken was usually never given to other magical races. He had been an exception due to the soul bit. The Goblin Healer had understood that Dumbledore and others had ulterior motives with regard with Harry and she had gone the extra mile to help him.

Harry had asked Tippy to make his glasses plain. He wanted to have them until he left for Hogwarts. He had decided to remove them on the train and then tell his Aunt that he had used a Potion at School to heal them.

One afternoon the portraits too were waiting for him, all of them gathered together in a large portrait of Hogwarts that was in the Family Room. They were all sitting by what he knew was the Black Lake. He had wondered if they could connect to Hogwarts and had been scared when they said they could. Dumbledore could easily get information out of them through other portraits in Hogwarts then.

They had reassured him that while they could travel to Hogwarts, the reverse could not happen unless they were allowed by the Head of House. And access was automatically revoked once the previous Head died. So unless Harry gave permission for any portrait from Hogwarts to come to Potter Manor, they would not be able to enter.

"Also remember Harry," August Potter, another son of the Potter family boomed, "We are always loyal to House Potter and you, it's Head, first and foremost. So we cannot do anything to harm that or you, unless _you_ harm House Potter. There is no way we would even ask you to invite anyone from anywhere unless we were assured it was safe."

Rusticus Potter, a Head from the 1600 said quietly, "Dumbledore had stopped our access to the Castle Harry. I found that I could not go to Hogwarts today morning. I cannot help feel that it is because you are going there this year and he does not want us to meet with you." His face turned nasty. "He dares to stop you from meeting your family? We'll deal with him alright."

"We will grandfather." Harry said firmly.

Rusticus Potter gave a feral smile. "We're going to do a little family magic Harry. That will protect not only your mind, a double protection as it were on top of the Goblin protection, but also it will make sure you cannot be forced to do anything you don't want to do and help you against any Potion that may be given to you to control you."

Harry bounced in sheer excitement. "Yes grandfather. What should I do?"

Harry was led through a series of steps to actually ward his mind, but yet leaving it open, so that those who wanted to read it could. They would see what they wanted to see. It was a very complicated blood activated charm that was definitely darker in nature. Rusticus, though did not seem to care and neither did the other Potters. They were nodding as Rusticus first explained to Harry and then made him draw the required Runes and then activate them through a series of chants and blood, meant to ward a particular area. In this case this would be Harry's mind, body and soul.

While the Goblin potion was powerful on its own, this would ward his magic also, by preventing anyone from binding his magic or his body to stop both from growing. He was told that one of the Unforgivables, the Imperius would have no effect on him whatsoever from then on and neither would Love Potions. Harry could not be more thrilled.

It took the whole evening to complete the act. Harry was so exhausted that he could not even stand up to thank Rusticus Potter for helping him with this. Seeing him sway the old Potter smiled and called Tippy to leave him at the Potters and charm them to think he'd come home and eaten and was now in his room. He also asked Tippy to give him a nutrient potion as a food supplement since Harry was too tired to eat even.

In fact Harry was not conscious as Tippy did all this; changing him into his nightclothes, and warding his room before he popped away. Harry was fast asleep.

It was ten in the morning when Harry woke up. He stretched and then as he remembered the events of the afternoon before, he grinned. Calling to his Aunt that he was coming down, he rushed to change and then scampered down.

His Aunt was frowning.

'I'm Sorry Aunt Petunia, I was trying the exercises in the Book late into the night and I woke up very late today." He said hastily before she could start shouting.

He face cleared a bit. "Were you successful?" she bit out.

"I think so. My mind felt near exact like the Book said." he chirped. He was feeling so happy he could burst and not even Aunt Petunia could put a damper on it. He hadn't realised how tense and terrified he had been, until the relief had set in yesterday. He really did not remember once he absorbed the Runes into his body, but today he felt fantastic.

His Aunt's lips pursed. "Well don't stop studying because you feel you've done something right."

"Oh no Aunt Petunia. I am planning to keep trying, until I'm able to do it effortlessly. I don't want to do anything abnormal you see." He said earnestly and sighed in relief when her face cleared completely and she nodded.

She set down her breakfast before him, he ate as if he was in a race and he was still not sated once he finished. He looked at his plate sadly, deciding to call for Tippy once he went into his room; he was starving. That ritual had really taken everything from him; when he saw two more eggs and a few slices of bacon and some more toast put on his plate. He beamed at his Aunt. "Thank you so much Aunt Petunia. I was really starving even after that full breakfast, I think it's because of those exercises."

She nodded abruptly and left the room. Harry finished these more slowly, washed his plate and cleaned the kitchen and went upstairs.

"Tippy!" He called.

"Master Harry!" the chirpy elf popped in with a large glass of milk.

Harry though pleasantly full was still able to drink it without feeling overfull and he realised how much of his energy had been sapped by the ritual yesterday. Now all he had to do was to go back home and ask Rusticus Potter if the ritual had worked. Home. What a lovely word Harry thought as he smiled to himself.

"Can you take me to the Manor Tippy? Also please ensure no one will want to come in and check on me ok, since I'm leaving here in the morning itself?"

A few seconds later Harry was running happily towards the Hogwarts Portrait. He guessed most of the Potters would be there trying to enter the School and he was right.

"Grandfather Rusticus!" he quite bellowed and he grinned when they all turned towards him.

"How do you feel Harry?" Rusticus asked him smiling too.

"I feel fine Grandfather. The ritual did come out right, right?"

Rusticus laughed. "Oh yes lad. It did come out correctly. You can put all your worry away; you're double protected."

"I'm ready for Hogwarts now." Harry declared.

"When you get sorted, remember to show the Sorting Hat all you did here and how access had been stopped for us Potters. It'll help you and also request Hogwarts herself to help you. Once that's given, then not even a Headmaster can do anything. If the Hat doesn't agree, tell it that you are Heir of not just Potter, but Slytherin and Peverell too. Those names should still mean something to the Hat and Hogwarts herself." Lucius Potter boomed.

"Will do Grandpa." Harry nodded and then for the whole day and indeed the rest of the days until it was the day to leave for Hogwarts, Harry spent the time learning from the Potters about the Wizarding World and a little bit of everything. He thoroughly enjoyed himself was quite sad when the time came to leave all of them until Christmas. He thanked all of them and after promising to be careful, Harry left for Privet Drive.

That night, after he finished dinner, he approached his Aunt. "Excuse me Aunt Petunia, I have to leave for that School tomorrow." He made sure to sound grim.

His Aunt nodded. "Vernon will take you to King's Cross."

"May I return for the Christmas Holidays? I don't want to spend more time there than I should."

That almost brought a look of approval on her face. "You may, provided, you behave like you have this last month. No funny tricks and nothing of that horrible thing in my house, you understand?"

"I agree Aunt Petunia and I understand. Thank you very much."

"Be ready by eight."

Harry went upstairs to bed. He couldn't help feeling excited. He would be starting a new life tomorrow and while there were things he disliked already in that world, there were things he absolutely loved like magic and talking portraits and Tippy. Above all, he had family. He was part of a family, never mind they were all dead. They were _his_ dead family and he loved it. When he returned at Christmas, he would have tons to share with them, and he hoped to make them proud.

Then he was asleep.

 _ **Complete**_

i


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